David Wright hit 21 home runs with a .306 batting average in 2012. (AP Photo)

The kid who grew up in Virginia rooting for the New York Mets would look past the perennial rebuilding project and the one playoff trip in his first nine seasons and make the long-term commitment that so many others would have resisted.

“It was very important to me from Day 1 that I finish what I started,” Wright says. “Things haven’t gone the way we would have liked them to the last couple years, but that’s going to change and we’re going to get this thing going in the direction where I want it to go.”

Wright re-upped even while knowing the organization’s next major move could be trading away R.A. Dickey, the organization’s first Cy Young Award winner since Dwight Gooden in 1985. When Dickey was dealt two weeks later, Wright didn’t question the wisdom of general manager Sandy Alderson.

Wright says he understood why the Mets, basically over a two-year difference of $5 million, would part ways with the inspirational knuckleballer. It helped that, in return, the Mets received two of the Toronto Blue Jays’ top three prospects.

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud is viewed as potentially the best two-way catcher the Mets have had since the late Gary Carter. At the very least, d’Arnaud eventually should give the Mets their most offense at the position since Mike Piazza’s run ended. John Buck will hold down catching chores for now.

Noah Syndergaard, a 20-year-old power pitcher yet to advance past Class A, was the other gem in the deal. If all goes according to Alderson’s plan, Syndergaard eventually will grace a rotation that features fellow righthanders Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler.

Johan Santana, entering the final year of a $137.5 million deal, probably won’t be part of those new-look Mets (and might not be ready for opening day this season). Jon Niese, signed to a five-year, $25.5 million deal early last season, is the lefty most likely to stick around for a while. The team hopes righthander Shaun Marcum, signed to a one-year deal in January, can regain his top-of-the-rotation form. Harvey, Dillon Gee and Jenrry Mejia will compete for the remaining rotation spots while Wheeler gets more minor league seasoning.

The starting infield returns after the Mets finished 12th in the NL in runs and 11th in homers and on-base percentage. Moving in the fences at Citi Field might have appeased Wright, but the offensive production of fellow infielders Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy and Ruben Tejada must improve.

The outfield is a mess. Andres Torres signed with the San Francisco Giants, and the Mets ate the $21 million remaining on Jason Bay’s horrific contract. That left the very limited Lucas Duda at one corner and major question marks at the other two spots.

Many of those same questions continue to dog a bullpen that finished with the NL’s second-worst ERA (4.63) last season. Incumbent closer Frank Francisco likely will begin the season on the disabled list after December elbow surgery, leaving Bobby Parnell to handle the ninth-inning duties. Veteran relievers Scott Atchison and Brandon Lyon were added in the offseason.

3 REASONS TO BELIEVE

Mr. Dependable: David Wright. The Mets think so highly of Wright that they gave him an eight-year, $138-million extension this past offseason. Wright, now 30, had one of the best seasons of his career in 2012. So, he might be getting more productive with age. His home run total also might benefit from the Citi Field fences being moved closer to the plate.

X-factor: Johan Santana. Usually, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and a four-time All-Star isn’t an X-factor. But when injuries have limited a player the way they have Santana, you can understand why he gets this tag. The Mets need Santana to lead their rotation now that Dickey is gone. The team lacks a true ace, though that is what Santana was before shoulder problems cost him the entire 2011 and various injuries limited him to 21 starts in 2012.

On deck: Ruben Tejada. Replacing Jose Reyes isn’t easy and Tejada won’t give the Mets that kind of production, but he has the chance to be pretty good in his age-23 season. Tejada can hit for average and get on base, and his glove is strong. He won’t hit for much power, but he will be a major contributor if he can set the table for guys like Wright and Davis.

— Anthony Witrado

TEAM SNAPSHOT

OFFENSE: The Mets finished 12th in the league in runs last season and don’t figure to improve much (if at all) in that category. There simply isn’t enough around Wright in this lineup.

DEFENSE: New York isn’t awful in the field, finishing in the middle of the pack last season in most defensive categories. Tejada has average range, but he made 12 errors in just 112 games. Subbing Buck for Josh Thole is a big upgrade at catcher.

ROTATION: Even with Dickey winning the Cy Young Award and Santana delivering the franchise’s first no-hitter, the Mets’ rotation finished just eighth in NL ERA.

BULLPEN: Only one NL East bullpen (Miami) blew more saves last year than the Mets (19). Francisco still averages more than a strikeout per inning, but his job security is shaky.

BENCH: New York won’t have much veteran presence here. Infielder Brandon Hicks will get a long look in the utility role, while another offseason acquisition, Collin Cowgill, has outfield versatility.

SCOUT’S VIEW

A major league scout analyzes 3B David Wright:

“I thought it was a good move to sign David Wright long-term. He’s definitely going to make you better, and it sends the message to your fan base that, ‘You’re the Mets. You’re still in this to win.’ That said, Wright has fallen off a little. A few years ago, he was as good as anyone in the game. He’s still a really good player, though, and it obviously helped him when they brought the fences in at Citi Field. You have to make sure you keep a guy like that.”

KEY STAT

The Mets reached base less than 31 percent of the time against lefthanded pitching last season (11th in the NL). Young sluggers Duda and Davis struggled, even with Wright keeping lefties honest. In combined OPS, the Mets ranked 13th in the league (.675).

2013 OUTLOOK

What could go right: The Mets would like nothing more than for the next wave of talent to break through, giving them a couple of strong young rotation pieces in Harvey and Wheeler and a cornerstone player in d’Arnaud.

What could go wrong: If Santana breaks down again, the decision to deal Dickey could blow a hole in the rotation that can’t be filled in the short term.

Bottom line: Going young (again) probably means the Mets sacrificed any chance at contending in 2013. Then again, were they really going to hang with the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies? Better to rebuild now and be able to surround Wright with a rising contender in 2014 and beyond.